Ukraine Internet users forecast to double by 2015

The number of Internet users in Ukraine was expected to nearly double by 2015, Deputy Prime Minister Sergiy Tigipko said Thursday, according to Xinhua.

"Now, about 42 percent, or approximately 17-18 million Ukrainians, have Internet access. The prospects are for the number of global web users in Ukraine to grow to 70 percent by 2015," Tigipko told an international conference on the development of information technologies here.

Currently, 13 percent of Ukrainians use social networking services, according to the deputy prime minister.

The country's IT industry had attracted about 1.6 billion dollars in investment so far this year, Tigipko said, adding the government would further encourage private investment in the sector.